Training Plant Breeders at WACCI to accelerate the Green Revolution in

West and Central Africa

Eric Y. DanquahDirector, WACCI

edanquah@wacci.edu.gh

“Developing Climate-Smart Crops for a 2030 World” Workshop, ILRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6-8 December

2011

Greetings from the University of Ghana

Ghana’s Premier UniversityFounded 1948

Outline

Context The challenge

The PromiseThe West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) Conception & Establishment Vision Programme Structure Our Students & Facilities

Looking Ahead Linkages, Networking & Sustainability

The Challenge• No. of breeders below

critical level• Poor Institutional Structures• Brain Drain

• Land & Cultural Issues• Low Yielding Varieties• High Cost of Production• Biotic & Abiotic stresses• Climate Change

Low Productivity

Food Insecurity

Low Breeding Capacity

What do we need in Africa?Doubly Green Revolution

- The aim is to repeat the success of the Green Revolution in Africa for many

diverse localities

Increased productivity on the same land with a reduced footprint e.g. high yielding hybrid maize varieties (7+ t/ha) with tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses

“The Green Revolution in Africa need not be a mirage”

Gibesa Ejeta, October, 16, 2009

“Local solutions, not "blueprints" of ideas from outsiders, are needed if Africa is going to experience a green revolution”

Sir Gordon ConwayApril 15, 2010

Food Crops Development Project (2001-2007)Root and Tuber Improvement Programme (1999-2003)

t/ha

Yield increases in some food crops in Ghana following investments

Sorghum Hybrid Quadruple Yields in Mali

Sorghum hybrids developed in Mali to quadruple harvests following support from AGRA

Source: http://www.agraalliance.org/section/people/stories

Average Yields of Sorghum in Mali (t/ha)

Number of Plant Breeders in selected countries in West Africa

Source: GIPB (http://km.fao.org)

Sorghum Maize Millet Rice Yam GroundnutCowpea Soyabean

0.700000000000

001 0.93 0.79

0.710000000000

001 0.79 0.59 0.53

0.750000000000

0030.5871.024

0.494

0.437000000000

001

2.995

0.734000000000

0010.456 0.46

Farm Size (Ha) Average Yield (t/ha)

Average farm size and yields of eight major crops in northern Ghana (Quaye, 2008)

Number of plant breeders at CSIR, Ghana

Source: MIS, CSIR, 2011

A new generation of plant breeders trained in West & Central Africa

New varieties

An African Green

Revolution

to Spark

The Genesis of the Promise

Scoping Study (Rockefeller Foundation), Dr. Eugene Terry, Inception Director-General, WARDA (August 2006)

-to identify universities in West and Central Africa with potentials to become the nucleus of an Africa-wide plant breeding capacity program at the MSc. and PhD levels

Recommended a Centre for Plant Breeding at the University of Ghana as the ACCI for W. & C. Africa (EACI - PASS, AGRA funding)

Rockefeller Assessment Mission (January 2007)

- Dr. Eugene Terry, International Consultant- Prof. Ronnie Coffman, Cornell University- Prof. Vern Gracen, Cornell University- Prof. Mark Laing, ACCI, UKZN, SA- Mr. Stefan Einarson, Cornell University- Prof. Eric Danquah, University of Ghana- Prof. Samuel K. Offei, University of Ghana

West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement

Established in June, 2007 to train 40 plant breeders over a 10-year period (AGRA-PASS grant); additional GCP grant to train 4 students (2008)

UG

Inauguration of WACCI, 12th March 2008

Vision

To become the foremost Centre for the training of Plant Breeders for

Africa

THE WACCI PROGRAMME

An innovative 5-year PhD programme

First year

Foundation courses in plant breeding and related courses at the University of Ghana

Pre- Enrollment English Proficiency Course for Francophone Students

Listening and Speaking/Presentation skills class

Reading and Academic Writing

class

1

2

3 4

6

7

12

10 13

914

16

15

11

8

5

Year 2 - Visiting Scientists (Advanced Modules)

Cornell Faculty participate in proposal presentations as reviewers via Video Conferencing

Years III-V Relocation of students to

their home institutions for PhD research work

Students return to the WACCI 3-6 months before the end of 5th year to complete write-up, submit and defend thesis

Crop focus Cereals - Maize, Sorghum, Millet & Rice Roots and tubers - Cassava & Sweet potato Legumes - Cowpea & Groundnuts Vegetables - Tomato & Pepper

VegetablesLegumes

Roots and tubers Cereals

Enrollment: 36 PhD students

12 Female (33%)18 Francophone (50%)18 Anglophone (50%)

Kenya

8 students to enroll in Jan., 2012

AGRA-sponsored students in the field

Mamadou Coulibaly, Drought tolerance in hybrid maize (IER)

Oumarou Goita, Alkalinity tolerance in rice

(IER)

Mamadou Aissata, Hybrid Sorghum

(INRAN)

Issaka Ahmadou, Hybrid Pearl Millet resistant to downy

mildew(INRAN)

Adama Mamadou Coulibaly,Early maturity and drought

tolerance in groundnut(INRAN)

Oumarou SouleymaneSalinity tolerance in rice

(INRAN)

Laouali Nasser MahamaneDrought tolerant tropical

yellow maize(INRAN)

Moses A. Adebayo, Drought tolerance in

hybrid maize(IITA)

Ndubuisi D. Njoku,

Enhanced beta carotene in cassava (NRCRI)

Alhassan Usman,

Rosette virus resistance in groundnut

(ABU)

Beatrice OkororogriMolecular characterisation &

low soil N and striga tolerance in maize inbreds

IITA

Chizoba Uzoma Okechukwu, Drought tolerance in maize

(NIHORT)

Lawan Muhammad Umar

Genetic analysis of grain quality traits of cowpea

(ABU)

Some Koussao,Genetic improvement of sweet potato for beta carotene and yield (INERA)

Abdalla Dao, Earliness and drought tolerance in

maize hybrids (INERA)

Valentin Edgar Traore,Yellow mottle virus resistance

in rice (INERA)

Maxwell Asante,Grain Quality in rice

(CRI)

Solomon G. Ansah, Phosphorus use efficiency in

cowpea (MoFA)

Allen Oppong, Resistance to MSV in hybrid maize (CRI)

Ernest BaafiSelection gain in end-user

traits of sweet potato(CRI)

Vivian Oduro, Inheritance of sweetness in sweet

potato (BNARI)

Lilian Tandzi Aluminium tolerance in maize hybrids(IRAD)

Hortense Mafouasson Low soil nitrogen

tolerance in maize (IRAD)

KENYA

Alice Kosgei

Drought Tolerance in Chickpea

Embu Agricultural Staff Training College

GCP-Sponsored Students

Joseph Adjabeng-Danquah

Drought tolerance in cassava (SARI)

Joseph Batieno Drought tolerance and M. phaseolina resistance in cowpea

Ruth N. A. ThompsonPost-harvest Physiological Deterioration in Cassava

(CRI)

Sako Dramane QTL analysis of yield components & panicle

architecture in sorghum (IER)

Partnership with 15 Institutions

CSIR- PGRRI, Ghana

Crop Services, Ghana

GAEC – BNARI, Ghana

CSIR – SARI, Ghana

CSIR- CRI, Ghana

INERA, Burkina Faso

INRAN, Niger

IER, Mali

ABU, Nigeria

NRCRI, Nigeria

IITA, Nigeria

NIHORT, Nigeria

IRAD, Cameroon

Embu Agricultural Staff Training College, Kenya

LAUT, Nigeria

Supervisory visits(Research supervision by in-country and WACCI supervisors)

Mentoring

Dr. Jeffrey D. Ehlers, Cowpea Breeder/Geneticist,

University of California, Riverside.

Joseph Batieno GCP Sponsored Student, WACCI

Jefffrey and Joseph have met face-to-face at WACCI on two occasions

Platform for Networking

Maxwell Asante ,Ghana(Rice)

Mamadou Coulibaly (Maize)

Oppong Allen, Ghana

(Maize)

Edgar Traore, Burkina Faso(Rice)

2nd Cohort

1st Cohort

Facilities High speed internet access and a video

conferencing facilityAccess to electronic resources (TEEAL &

AGORA) and the Mann Library, Cornell University

Access to the Biotechnology Centre, CA&CS, UG

Maize breeding programme • 1,750 hybrids

under evaluation

• Arrangement with Seed Co, Zimbabwe to test hybrid varieties in multi-locational

trials Ghana & Nigeria)

Looking Ahead Exploring opportunities for win-win linkages

NARIs & other AIs

Partnership with CCAFS?

WACCI PHASE II

AGRA is committed to: 80% of see-out budget for 32 PhD

students (First cohort to complete in December 2012)

Funding to admit 15 additional students in three cohorts from July 2013 but we need to maintain class sizes

We need to urgently diversify our sources of funding to sustain WACCI.

Advisory Board

40

Dr. Eugene Terry, Senior Technical Advisor, TransFarm Africa, Washington DC

(Chairman)

Prof. E.Y. DanquahMember

Prof. S. K. OffeiMember

Prof. V. GracenMember

Dr. R. MadakadzeAGRA Rep.

Prof. R. CoffmanMember

Prof. M. LaingACCI Rep.

Management & Senior Staff

Eric DanquahDirector

Sam Offei Associate Director

(Research)

Vern GracenAssociate Director

(Teaching & Curriculum Development)

Martin YeboahPlant Breeder

Charles ThePlant Breeder

Naalamle Amissah Programme Coordinator

Frank Kumaga(Plant Physiology)

Jonathan Ayertey(Entomology)

Kwadwo Ofori (Plant Breeding)

Kwadwo Asante (Plant Genetics)

Essie Blay (Plant Genetics &

Breeding)

Edmund Darkwa(Plant Pathology)

Associate Faculty

Administrators & Support staff

Mr. Yaw Brako Osei-Tutu Finance Officer

Mr. Edward SalakpiAdministrative Officer

Mr. Richmond KyeiMessenger / Cleaner

Mr. Ebenezer AddoDriver

Mr. Philip AmegadzieDriver

Ms. Rita AyirebiAdministrative Assistant

working with farmers and seed enterprises to develop improved varieties to spark a Green Revolution in West and Central Africa

The inescapable conclusion

Thank you

Our first cohort, March 12, 2008

Completion deadline, November 2012

Without these human resources, W & C Africa will have little or no capacity to adapt to climate change